p.16

16

*- Seeds may be regarded as having the same relation to the growth and development of the future plant as buds. In both we find minute plants already formed and fully prepared to burst forth upon the recurrence of the favorable conditions. One remains attached to the parent stalk and draws its nourishment from it, while the other becomes separate and receives its support directly from the soil*. Essentially their nature and functions are the same.

Buds resemble seeds in another respect. Thousands of them are annually formed, on the wood of trees, that do not become developed into branches, but remain dormant until by some accident they are needed to restore the tree to its proper form when they burst forth and perform their proper functions: in this respect resembling seeds, that they are a laying away [as it] so to speak a quantity of vegetable life ready for use at any future time when it may be required to fulfil the purposes of an all-[illegible] direction of events.-As seed may remain dormant for years so may buds.

*-And buds to (in case of [currerp?]) may be made to send down roots & draw their support directly from the soil. Like seeds they may be removed from the parent [plant] and planted on another, or even in the ground like seeds.